Garment fastener



April 13, 1965 E. w. BURCH GARMENT FASTENER Filed Nov. 7, 1962 INVENTOR 270# h. EUR cf/ 47m/Ewen:

United States Patent O 3,177,549 GARMENT FASTENER Elton W. Burch, Savage, Minn., assignor to Thin Flex, Inc., Savage, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed Nov. 7, 1962, Ser. No. 236,045 1 Claim. (Cl. 24--245) The present invention relates to fastening devices and more particularly a fastening device for supporting garments such as stockings and the like.

A variety of different devices have been proposed for the purpose of fastening or supporting garments such as stockings. The fasteners of this type which are in common use today include a back member having a raised lug portion thereon and a front member formed from metal wire or the like. During use, the metal wire portion is slidably engaged over the lug with the top of the stocking positioned between the lug and the wire member. These fasteners, however, suffer from a number of disadvantages. First, the stocking is supported at only one point and therefore is subject to becoming torn. Second, the metal wire member or the hinge portion between the metal Wire member and the body portion will sometimes pinch the user. A further disadvantage of this type of fastener is that it is relatively thick from front to back and can consequently become uncomfortable.

yOther types of fasteners of the general class described have been devised including some which provide front and rear fastener members, each including a horizontally disposed ilange at the upper and lower end thereof. These anges are locked together when the fastener is placed in use. This fastener, too, has certain shortcomings. First, the fastener, when assembled, is relatively thick since the front and back members are spaced apart by the flanges. Second, members can slide laterally with respect to one another and as a result, may become accidentally separated thereby releasing the stocking. For these and other reasons not specically enumerated, the prior art fasteners of the type described have been considered either dicult to fabricate or to some extent ineffective in operation.

In view of the deficiencies in the prior art it is one object of the present invention to provide an improved garment fastener, particularly useful for supporting stockings which is rugged in construction, reliable in operation and can be manufactured at a relatively low cost.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved garment fastener for supporting stockings and the like which is very thin from front to back and is consequently more comfortable when in use.

- It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved garment fastener of the type described which presents an attractive visual appearance.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved fastener of the type described which is very thin from front to back and yet will support the garment engaged thereby at two spaced apart positions so as to reduce the strain upon the garment.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved garment fastener which is particularly well adapted for supporting stockings and will have no tendency to pinch the user either when a stocking is being attached to the fastener or during use.

These and other more detailed and specific objects will be disclosed in the course of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in

y which- FIG. 1 is a greatly enlarged front lelevational view of a Lpreferred form of my present invention showing the fastener members as they appear when disengaged from each other.

FIG. 2 is a Vertical sectional View of the device of FIG. 1 showing the fastener members in engagement and supporting a stocking.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational View of the device of FIGS. 1 and 2, substantially life size as it appears during use.

Referring now to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred form of my invention and wherein the same numerals refer to corresponding parts, there is shown a fastener 10 including a pair of elongated fastener members 12 and 14 for convenience hereinafter referred to as rear and front fastener members, respectively. The rear lfastener member 12 includes a iiat and relatively thin center portion 16 which during use in supporting the stocking will lie adjacent to the leg 18 of the user as,

2o and 2S thus face toward the center of the portion 16.

The rear walls 26r and 281A of the pockets 26 and 28, respectively, are continuous and coextensive with the center portion 16 of the rear fastener member 12. The pockets 26 and 2S include end walls 26e and 28e, respectively, and sidewalls 26s and 28s, respectively. Positioned on the inward surfaces of the front and rear walls of each of the pockets 26 and 28 are a plurality of horizontally disposed alternate ridges and grooves 30.

While the rear fastener member 12 can be formed from a variety of materials known to the art, it is preferably formed from a relatively pliable resinous material such as a plasticized polyvinylchloride composition, a polyethylene resin or a rubber composition. Other suitable materials will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Suitably secured to the forward surface of the strap 22 at 34 is a flexible connecting member such as a strap 36. The lower end of the strap 36 is secured as by means of rivets 38 or other suitable fasteners to the approximate center of the front fastener member 14.

The front fastener member 14 is vertically elongated as is the rear fastener member 12 and is formed from relatively thin sheet material as best seen in FIG. 2.

The upper and lower ends of the front fastener member 14 are rounded both as seen from the front in FIG. 1 and also when viewed from the side or in vertical section asV seen in FIG. 2. By thus rounding the ends of the member 14 projections are eliminated which, if present, might injure the garment being supported. As can be seen in FIGS. l and 3, the upper and lower end of the pockets 26 and 28, respectively, are rounded in a manner similar to the ends of the member 14. The member 14 is, however, somewhat smaller in size than the fastener member 12 so that the upper and lower ends thereof will fit easily within the pockets 26 and 28, respectively as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The horizontally disposed ridges and grooves Sii will function to help securely retain the garment in position on the fastener.

While the front fastener member 14 can be formed from a variety of materials, I prefer to employ a relatively stiff or semi-flexible material. Numerous suitable materials of this type, such as unplasticized polyvinylchloride resin, cellulosic plastics or polymethylmethacrylate plastics can be used. The front fastener member 14 can also be formed from sheet metal if desired.

When the fastener 1) is to be used, member 14 is separated from member 12 as shown in FIG. 1. The upward portion of a stocking or other garment is then fastener 10 spo that it lies in surface of the'le'g 18.

f YalY placed over' the forward surface'of the fastener member 12'." The member '14' is thengrasped"manuallyV and the Vlower end thereof isrplaced kinto the pocket 28 with a garment such as a stioclging 40 positioned between the lower portion of the member 14 Aandthefinnepz'rsurface-of the pocket=f28f`as best'seen inlFI-GS. 2 and 3'.` rl"he vupward end of the fastenerl member 1'2'isj then pulled upwardly so as tostretch the center portion 16 to some extent. `As this isbeingdone, the-upward end# of the fastener member` 14 can be bentrearwardly to some exspaced apart, pockets supported upon said iirst fastener member; each of said Vpockets, including front, rear, side Y and end walls and each having an opening facingtoward tentu'ntil the extreme upward endthereof will slide into the-pocket 26. ,A portion of'the upward end ofthe stocking-40 will then becomepositioned between the extreme upward end` ofthe 'member 14 and-,therinner 'fi surface of the pocket Y26 lasshowri in FIGS'. 2 and 3. The fastener members 12"and 14c'an'then be released allowing the resiliency of- Vthesey members to vstraighten the a flat planefparallel with theV With thefa'stener 10 of the present invention in positionk for use as shown` in FIG. 3, itpwill'ha've notendency,A

to pinch or bind the user. Itis very,V much thinner from Vfront to back than other `fasteners of which I amaware. Y Moreover, it Ysupports thestockin'glor other garmentgin two places and therefore distributes the stress placed on the stocking. When in position for use, it isvery secureY since the front member 14 isfprevented-from sliding eitherv upwardly or downwardly by the endand front walls vof the pockets 26 and'ZS` or from sliding laterally by the sidei Walls 26s and .28s. The fastener4 ofthe presentinvention can Valso be manufactured at a relatively low cost.A It is understoodl that suitable modifications V,may be made in the structure as disclosed, -provided such modications'come within the spirit and scope of the appended' claim. Having now therefore fully illustrated and de- Vtions to securely retain fa section of' said' garment-between` the center of said rst fastenerv member; a second fastener member'including a center portion and a pair of end por.-

tions spacedl apart from each other substantially the same distance'as the spacing between said pocket portions, said; end portions of said secondI fastener member each being thereby adapted to be'place'd into; one ofsaid pocket' porrsaidy irst and, second fastener membersgiexible connecting meansV extending between saidy iirst and' second l" fastener` members,'said fastener being adapted to. beconnected to: a supportingy strap, and thev front and vrear inward surfacesk of each of said pockets including a plurality of parallel alternate-ridges and grooves to assist in se curely retaining saidY garment in position between said i fastener members." j 'Y p p Y y r A i v References: Cited the ile of this patent p UNITED ,STATES VrPATENTS 

